How to choose the right idea to work on?

Here's what I ask myself before starting a new side project.

A thread...

1. A side project means something you will give up personal hours to work on, so the most important thing is to ask yourself:

"Do I really enjoy this subject, field, type of work?"

If the answer is "no", chances are you won't have the energy to spend extra hours working on it.

2. It takes time for a side project to gain traction, so the next thing you should ask yourself is:

"Am I willing to spend at least 5 years working on this idea?"

If the answer is "no", it's very likely that you'll lose motivation and give up this project before it takes off.

3. Having an idea is one thing, having the ability to execute that idea is completely different, so you should ask yourself:

"Can I execute this idea fully by myself?"

If the answer is "no", you might consider learning a new skill or inviting a friend to fill the gaps.

4. Saying "yes" to one idea, means saying "no" to a bunch of other ideas, so ask yourself:

"Is this particular idea better than others I had in the past? Is there any other idea that could better use my time?"

If the answer is "no", then repeat this cycle with the other idea.

My friend @rafaelrinaldi asked me:
"My biggest blocker is to decide which idea to invest. Which will have more chance to gain traction? I never found an ideal way to try something before investing too many hours on it."

5. The best way to validate an idea is to put up a landing page live before you even start to work on the product.

This will help you better structure the value prop, understand the level of interest, and gather initial fans to kick off the product launch.

6. And the last question is:

"Why am I excited about this idea now?"

It's important to understand your underlying motivation. Do you want to learn a new technology? Do you want to make more money? Do you need a distraction from other problems?

Be honest with yourself.